Harry Potter and the Flames of Calimiir
by BriannaMann
Summary: Everyone thought Lily was Muggleborn, but they were wrong. On that fateful night, she awoke the "Power He Knows Not" and bestows it on her son. When Harry comes to Hogwarts, no one will know what to expect. Very AU. Light Dumbledore/Weasley-bashing. Powerful Harry in time. No pairings yet. Rated T for later content.
1. Lily's Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, at all, in any way. If I did, I would buy a horse ranch and be a hermit.**

 **Synopisis: Everyone thought Lily was Muggleborn, but it wasn't true. On that fateful night, Lily gives the ultimate sacrifice, and the Power He Knows Not is bestowed to her son, the first of his kind.**

* * *

 _"True Love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice."_  
 _~Sadhu Vaswani_

 **"Lily! It's him! Take Harry and run!"**

Lily Potter nee Evans clutched her son to her chest, her heart breaking even as she ran to the fireplace. Throwing in the gritty powder, she shouted out "Hogwarts!", but the fire remained orange, and her heart clenched. She and James would not survive this night.

But she could make sure, above all, that her son would live.

With a thought, she sent all but the bare minimum of her power to James, knowing that it wouldn't save him, but that it would help him to delay Voldemort from reaching Harry before she was ready.

She was going to miss her baby's life. Miss all of his first moments that she hadn't seen already. His first book, first bike ride. She wouldn't be able to see him fly in his first Quidditch game, as she knew already he carried his father's talent for flying.

Romance, kisses, exams, careers, hugs, arguements, temper tantrums...all the good and bad...he wouldn't have his mother and father there, knowing that no matter what, they would always love him.

The nursery door closed behind her, and Lily gently set Harry in his crib, sitting next to his tiger stuffed animal, Stripes.

"Harry...Harry my sweet boy. Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Be safe, my Harry. I'll always watch over you," Lily whispered to her baby, kissing his forehead softly. She flinched as she heard shouts down below, but didn't let it stop her. With a quick chant in a language predating Latin, she sliced a conjured silver knife across her lifeline, and traced a rune on Harry's forehead where she had kissed him. The blood glowed and gleamed, sparkling with silver light, before it turned golden and the light sunk into his skin, leaving it unblemished and clean.

"Ancestors, Guardians of this world. Daughters of the One, I pray, I plead, hear my call. By the blood of my blood, from Mother to Daughter to Mother, give unto my son my All. Blood to blood, power to power, protect him from darkness in this hour. What fate has demanded, I will give, if only you ensure my son will live. From mine to thine, bind him to our fate, and the bloody price I shall sate. Please, Great Mother, hear my plea. By thy will, so mote it be."

A bloom of power surrounded her, warmed her heart, then turned ice cold as she felt her own snap back to her being, and more tears slid down her face. James was dead. And, Mother willing, she would join him soon.

 _All power comes at a price. You would have your son bear our burden?_

The voice, if it could be called a voice, sounded in her heart of hearts, and she bowed her head.

"For the life of my son, to fulfill his destiny, I would give him my All to protect all." She could hear slow footsteps coming upstairs, and all she felt was a desperation that the Mother would allow her to die for her son.

 _For the love of your son...we grant this wish. You know what you must do._

"Thank you...thank you," Lily sobbed out in a harsh whisper.

 _Have courage, Daughter. We are with you._

Lily stood, and as the ritual ended, whirled to face the door as it was blasted open. Terror didn't describe how afraid she was at the first glimpse of that terrible face. Pale, pale skin, malovent red eyes, and a snake-like visage with a nearly sheared off nose, all shrouded in deepest black robes. Voldemort gave her what he thought was a gentle smile, but all Lily could see was the darkness that surrounded him. In that moment, she understood exactly what he had done to his soul, and it both disgusted and horrified her.

 **"Not Harry, Not Harry, please not Harry!"** she pleaded, standing in front of her baby boy.

 **"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."** Voldemort ordered in a calm voice, obviously not moved by her pleading.

 **"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead!"**

But he ignored her, instead stepping over the remains of the shattered door, bringing his wand up to point at her.

One more time, she had to plead. Three times, she had to ask, as she and James had dueled against him three times.

 **"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..."**

Voldemort laughed, a high-pitched sound that was cold and cruel, and Lily knew he would not. And despite her terror, despite her overwhelming grief to know that was passing her burden to her son, she felt a thrill of triumph as the tip of his wand glowed green. She screamed as that terrible light hit her, but it was a scream of victory, for rather than the instantaneous death that was the normal result of the curse, it took a half second longer to rip her soul from her body.

A half second in which all her power, passed down through her mother's blood, the same blood that had been hunted and hidden for millenia, left her body and went to her son directly behind her.

Her body crumpled, but her soul lingered, watching. Waiting.

The horrible man, if he could even be called a man, turned his wand towards the crib, and he raised a hairless brow as the boy looked up at him, green eyes the same as his fallen mother's.

"Sso...you are the one who can defeat me, hmm?" he said in a soft voice, then shrugged. "No longer a threat. Let it not be ssaid that Lord Voldemort iss foolissh enough to let hiss enemy live."

And so he said those awful words again. Those merciless eyes widened as the curse, aimed towards the boy's chest, was drawn to his forehead, and rebounded. A concussion force of energy whipped through the house, shattering all glass and cracking the walls and foundation of the house.

All that remained on the floor was a pile of smoking black robes, and a bone-white wand.

Lily lingered for a moment more, wishing she could sooth her now sobbing son as blood welled from the fresh wound. For a moment she was still in fear as a wisp of black mist, the representation of a piece of Voldemort's soul, lingered near her son, attempting to enter him for safety. A golden light shone from the wound, and the mist was shredded in an un-felt wind, before the light died, and her baby was left whole and safe.

 _"He will be cared for, in time,"_ a voice said from her right, and Lily turned. Violet eyes, ebony hair, and a gentleness that calmed Lily even after such horror greeted her, and she knelt before the Mother.

"My Lady," she whispered, awed and a bit overwhelmed. For despite the gentleness she could feel even now, the power this One commanded was beyond her grasp of understanding, even now in Death.

 _"Rise my Daughter, for you have earned your place at my side."_ Lily looked up, and the Mother smiled gently. _"Come, Lily, Daughter of my Daughters. I, too, am a Mother, and understand your need to protect. I know, too, what it means to sacrifice for your children. Be at peace, dear heart, for in time, I shall send his Sister to watch over him, and prepare him for his role."_

"Must it wait, Great Mother? I see now where he would send Harry...she will not welcome him...I fear for my son," Lily said, tears in her eyes as she looked away to her crying boy.

A soft touch drew her gaze back to those amethyst eyes, loving and understanding, and shining with regret.

 _"It is the way of our kind, dear one. He must first be hidden from the Wizarding World before he can be hidden from the non-believer. Do not fret, my Daughter. He shall be of my Chosen, and protected."_

The ethereal woman walked over to the crib, leaning down and staring into the young child's eyes. A glimmer of light passed over those emerald orbs, and She knew he could see her, further confirming that her Daughter's choice had taken hold.

 _"Be safe, my Son, and know that you are loved. Peace, young one, and heal. You are Mine, Harry Potter, as I am yours, by blood, by power, by love. The first of your Line, I give you My Blessing. I name you Harry Potter-Caliburn, of Clan Ancalimiir, blood of My blood. As I will, so mote it be."_

Lily gasped as the wound healed, now a pinkish-red scar. Gazing at her son, she wished him love and safety, before turning to follow the Mother into the Light, past the Veil, and into the next world.

* * *

 **AN:** The text in bold is that which I've taken directly from the books, and does not belong to me. Now, this is my first fanfiction, so please, no flames, though I will take constructed criticism where it is due. Please, let me know what you think. The more reviews I get, the more motivation I have to post the next chapter quickly. :D

I have no idea for pairs, so that won't be listed for a loooooong time. Until next time, my friends!


	2. A Little Bit of Magic

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, cactus.**

AN: From here on out, there may be scenes that greatly resemble the books, but as I'm not copying word for word, I won't be highlighting anymore passages in bold. This is just to warn those who might think I'm stealing from the book. Thanks for listening, and enjoy the story.

 **Language Key**

 _'_ _Thoughts'_

 _"_ _Thought-speak"_

"Normal speech"

* * *

 _"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."_

 _~James Baldwin_

* * *

The Dursleys, of Number 4, Privet Drive, were among the most normal of normal families, and they were quite proud of that fact, thank you very much. And if they had their way, being the most normal was all everyone would ever know about them.

To the Dursleys, the worst thing that could happen would be if someone found out about their abnormal nephew.

"Up! Get up you lazy boy and get outside! You didn't finish your chores from yesterday and I will not have your laziness ruin my chances for the Grand Gardens Competition!" Petunia Dursley said shrilly as she unlocked the door to the cupboard under the stairs. Her sharp eyes, honed from years of spying on the neighbors for gossip material, watched as a small boy of six or seven years of age, though he looked younger than that, shuffled out of the cupboard.

"May I use the bathroom, Aunt Petunia?" he asked quietly, almost in a whisper, while looking at the floor. He had learned quickly not to look his Aunt in the eye, as she was quick to punish him for the smallest thing, imagined or not, if she saw his emerald eyes.

"Not until you finish weeding the rosebushes," she snapped. "That will teach you not to finish the day I assign you a chore. Finish the rosebushes and you can use the bathroom for ten minutes. Now get to work!"

"Yes Aunt Petunia," he answered, hurrying outside through the back kitchen door.

She watched the small boy go, ruthlessly crushing down the very small voice that urged her to take care of her dead sister's child. No, the child was a freak, just like his parents. She couldn't love a freak.

Harry Potter, age almost eight, bit his lip hard as he struggled not to cry as the rose thorns once again scratched into his arms, making a few more drops of blood fall and sink into the ground. He was on the last rosebush, Aunt Petunia's prize white and peach hybrid variety. No one else in the competition had anything like it, and she was sure it was going to win her first place this year.

Really, he didn't mind doing the gardening. It got him out of the house and away from his cousin Dudley, who was forbidden from going anywhere near the roses or Harry while he was working on them. That alone was reason enough to enjoy the chore; Harry was smart enough not to let his aunt and uncle know this, though. Any sign that he actually enjoyed a chore they assigned was a quick way to see even that small pleasure taken away.

But seriously, he really, really needed to pee.

Finished weeding, Harry patted the soil around the base of the bush, smiling very slightly. "Grow up big and strong, little rose bush. We both know you deserve that trophy way more than Aunt Petunia, though just between us, we'll pretend its hers anyway." That said, he barely even noticed the extra scratch he gained from petting the stem as he gathered up his tools and headed for the water hose.

A few more drops of blood joined the first few, and young Harry never saw the rosebush take on a deeper green hue in its leaves, nor the blossoms grow just a smidgen larger and healthier, the white seeming to take in and hold the sunlight as its own, while the gentle peach petals more resembled a baby's soft skin than any natural plant material.

Throughout the backyard garden, each and every plant was as healthy and preserved as the new rosebush. Though Petunia claimed it was a secret fertilizer when her neighbors asked for the secret, in reality, it was the loving care tended to the various flowers and decorative greenery that little Harry provided that led to her garden being so rich with life.

Love, and a little bit of magic.

* * *

 _Somewhere in Pennsylvania, USA_

A dark-haired woman in her mid-twenties strode through extravagant hallways without noticing the plush carpeting or the detailed fine art that decorated the walls. Rather, she was intent on reaching her destination, which turned out to be a rather plain yet homey office deep within the massive manor house.

Ignoring the various books assembled on the shelves, as well as the rather high pile of paperwork waiting for her attention.

"Ma'am, your next appointment is in ten minutes," a young blond woman said, poking her head in the door just long enough to check and see if said appointment was still on.

"I'm afraid I have to reschedule, Maria. An emergency has come up and I need to take care of it right away," the first woman replied, taking something out of her desk before turning to her assistant. "In fact, reschedule all of my appointments for the rest of the week. I hate to do this, but I've received a summons from the Lady, and I really must answer as soon as possible."

Maria's eyes widened, and she nodded in understanding. Any sort of contact from the Lady was always more important than trivial day to day matters of the Clans, but a summons was even more of a priority. Of course, Maria knew that her boss was one of the only people in the world to claim a very close relationship with the Lady, but even so, summons were not very common.

"Of course, Ma'am. I'll inform Nain'ens Vanessa and Terri as soon as possible. Will you need your travel bag, Ma'am?"

"Not this time, I believe. Thank you, Maria. I still have no idea how I managed before you," the woman said with a grateful smile.

Blushing at the praise, Maria gave a small bobble that resembled an informal curtsey before hurrying away to attend to the matter at hand.

Sighing, the dark-haired woman hurried away from her office towards her private quarters. However, before she reached her rooms she was called out to. Pausing, she turned to face a new woman, this one in her mid-thirties and a redhead at that, as she approached.

"There you are, Allyson. I thought for sure you would have been meeting with Vanessa by this point."

"I had to reschedule, Juliet. An emergency has come up and I've been summoned. Maria's already rearranging my schedule. I'm not sure how long I should be gone, but at this point I'm led to believe I should be back within three or four days," Allyson replied as she continued down the hall, Juliet keeping pace with her.

"A summons? Do you know what for?" the older woman asked curiously.

"Not really, but…I believe it may have something to do with the dreams I've been having. If so, a lot is about to change for the Clans," Allyson answered as she stepped into her parlor room, Juliet following.

"It's that big, you believe?"

"I think so, yes. Have you not felt the trembles in the Threads? Fate is busy weaving, and we're about to be pushed right in the middle of it all." Allyson paused, hearing the annoyed tone in her own voice. She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Juliet. I shouldn't be taking my frustration out on you. I'm just…"

"Tired," Juliet finished, smiling softly. "The dreams you've been having, as you said so yourself, have exhausted you for the past year, hun. These dreams have kept you from having a decent night's sleep in close to six months. Now you think your summons has something to do with them; it's no wonder you're stressed!"

"Yeah…I just…part of me is simply relieved that I can finally find some answers, but on the other hand…" she looked out the window, studying the green forest in all it's summertime glory. "Not very many of those dreams were pleasant. I'm…I'm afraid of what I'm going to find in those answers, Jules."

"I'm sure you'll handle every just fine, as you always do," Juliet assured Allyson. The dark-haired woman gave her friend a smile, and after a few minutes Juliet left. Soon enough Allyson was packed, and heading northward. It was time to meet with The Lady.

* * *

The Keep, as it was and had always been known, was a relatively simple building, although rather over-sized. A simple gray granite exterior, broken only by a few dark glass windows, greeted any visitors, stretching up towards the sky in the shape of a spear-straight tower. Six stories of the granite bricks formed a circular tower in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, with the flat rooftop open to the elements with a single stone staircase for easy access.

Allyson parked her car and stepped out, looking up at the tower with fondness. She had many memories of this place over the years, spanning back longer than most would expect. A few bad ones, but those were easily dismissed in light of so many positive thoughts. Despite it's forboding look, the Keep was a treasure of peace to the Clans, and would remain that way for many years to come.

Stepping through strong oak doors, Allyson's footsteps were quiet as she crossed the wide marble floor, and ascended the spiral staircase that climbed the outer wall. No one else was here except the one who had summoned her, and the tower remained quiet, lit only by soft candles set into the walls every so often to light the way, and the dim sunlight streaming in through the few tinted windows.

On the third floor, she left the stairway and continued along the hall, before stopping at the only door, one of pale wood carved with many strange and exotic symbols.

 _"Come in, dear one,"_ a gentle voice sounded in her mind as she raised her hand to knock. Smiling, knowing she should have expected it, and in some ways had, Allyson opened the door and headed inside.

The only floor to house a single room, the third floor was home to a simple throne room. Here, six pillars of white wood were evenly spaced in a circle, each carved much as the door was. The walls were decorated with richly-colored tapestries, most centuries old, a few even numbering into the thousands. All the room, in contrast to the rest of the Keep, was brightly lit by white globes hanging from the ceiling, each glowing with an inner light not produced by electricity, but rather by magic.

Directly across from the room, a small dais was home to a simple but elegant throne of white and silver. It was hard to decide if the material was wood or metal or even stone, it was so smooth.

A woman sat in the throne, and acknowledged Allyson's bow with a small nod, and a smile.

"My Lady, I have answered Your summons. How may I serve You?" Allyson asked formally, finally looking up to meet amethyst eyes.

"Oh Ally, you always insist on formalities," the woman said with a gentle chuckle, rising to her feet and walking down to give Allyson a strong hug.

"You did summon me, after all, Mora. If you had simply called, I wouldn't need to observe the niceties," Ally pointed out, but grinned nonetheless.

Mora, or Morariel as she was properly named, rolled her eyes, and merely pulled Ally up to the dais. The throne had disappeared, and in its place two comfortable armchairs awaited them.

"But seriously Mora, what's going on? The way it sounded…"

"Are you still having those dreams?" Mora asked, the teasing gone from her voice now.

"Yes…so this does have to do with them?"

"Allyson…I need your help. But more so, a little boy does. Let me tell you a story…"

* * *

 **AN: I know this update has taken almost a year to come out, but life has a way of interrupting things. New job, family deaths, missing pets, new pets, new babies, all big things I had to deal with in the past year. However, I really wanted to keep writing, and am trying it again. You'll notice this update has more than one chapter, and for good reason. Here's hoping we gain more interest, and with it a lot of motivation for me to get the next update out a heck more quickly.**


	3. A Dream and A Promise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, because pony.**

 **Warning: This chapter contains mentions of abuse and neglect. If you don't like those things, please do not read.  
**

 **Language Key**

 _'Thoughts'_

 _"Thought-speak"_

"Normal speech"

* * *

 _"That which is dreamed can never be lost, can never be undreamed." ~Neil Gaiman_

* * *

Laying in his "bed", Harry was sure he was actually trapped in the oven, the heat trapped in the cupboard under the stairs would surely bake him as thoroughly as any of the pies Uncle Vernon and Dudley were so fond of. Sweat ran down in rivulets, soaking into his ragged mattress that stuck to his bare skin, irritating bug bites and the still-healing welts from his latest "punishment" from Uncle Vernon.

Checking the time on a cracked screen on one of Dudley's old watches (the kind you get in a kid's meal from a fast food place), he saw it roll over from 11:59 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Harry sighed and closed his eyes.

"…Happy Birthday, Harry," he whispered to himself, and then fell asleep, wishing he could be anywhere but his cupboard.

* * *

 _The small boy stood in a green clearing, ancient trees, at least ten stories tall, surrounded the glade, stretching up towards an impossibly blue sky. White and purple flowers dotted the waving grass, catching Harry's attention one moment, before a sound grabbed it the next._

 _Someone was calling his name._

 _Curious, and somehow knowing he would be safe, he followed the voice to a path that made it's way deeper into the forest, weaving around the great trunks that stood as solid as mountains._

 _On one hand, it seemed like a long walk, for the path took him a long way away from the clearing. But on the other hand, every new sight was a wonder to behold. Here, a tree had grown roots above the earth, creating great arching bridges of wood that trailed creeping vines and flowering ferns. Yet another sight was that of an upright stone, thrusting out of the ground as if reaching for the sky, it's surface the color of moonbeams twined with veins of silver._

 _Abruptly Harry came to a stop, emerald eyes wide with surprise. In front of him, a great stag stood in the middle of the path. Dark hazel eyes, deep and intense, stared at Harry from beneath a rack of antlers that were as magnificent as any crown._

 _The boy was shocked when, instead of darting away, the stag instead knelt on the ground, still maintaining his stare, before glancing at his back, then back to Harry._

 _"…really?" Harry whispered, eyes wide and incredulous. The stag nodded his head, and Harry felt an intense feeling of safety and, dare he think it, love flood over him. Somehow he knew that the stag was safe, and would protect him._

 _Carefully, as if afraid of hurting the stag, the boy climbed on, and held on to its neck as it slowly stood._

 _Suddenly they were flying! Or so it felt, they were going so fast! The Stag darted down the path in great, graceful leaps and bounds, until everything was a green and brown blur to the little boy. But rather than be frightened, he found his heart racing with excitement, and couldn't help but whoop loudly as they jumped over a fallen trunk._

 _Too soon, they were slowing down, and Harry heard the soft thunder of a waterfall._

 _They walked out of the trees out the edge of large pool of water that formed at the base of a beautiful waterfall._

 _And standing there at the edge, next to a beautiful doe, was the prettiest lady Harry had ever seen in all of his eight years of life._

 _She turned, her purple eyes lighting with gentle amusement and kindness._

 _"Hello Harry," the woman said gently, and he recognized her voice as that which had called to him in the clearing._

 _Abruptly shy, he hid his face against the neck of the stag, who walked over to join the doe next to the pretty lady._

 _"It's okay, Child. Here, you are safe, I promise," the woman crooned. And despite never having known trust in any adults in his life, Harry believed her, and he slowly looked up to meet her gaze._

 _"Who…who are you?" he asked, then winced. He wasn't supposed to ask questions._

 _"You'll know my Name soon, Beloved," she reached up and took his hand, and he gasped as a thrum of energy filled his veins. "Know that you are loved, Harry. By your parents, by me, and soon, by your new family."_

 _His eyes widened, but he found he couldn't talk. The energy surged, and he shivered, light dancing before his eyes. It was getting harder to see the woman, all except her purple eyes._

 _"Today, Harry. As your birthday present. I'm sending to you, a Sister. Her name is Allyson. Remember that Harry. Allyson will find you, and protect you. With her, you'll be safe, Child."_

 _The waterfall was so loud now, drowning out all other sounds of the forest, except Her voice._

 _"Know that you are loved, Harry. Your parents love you, as do I."_

* * *

Harry jerked away with a gasp, heart racing, his blood pounding.

The echo of a soft, yet powerful voice still in his ears.

 _"You are loved, Harry."_

A dream….it had been a dream.

Just a dream.

But…

He looked down, and gasped. All the wounds Uncle Vernon had inflicted just the other day, even the welts from the belt, were closed and healing. In fact, they looked to be almost a week old, instead of just a couple days. How…?

"Boy! Get up and make breakfast, and then be sure you get started on the front walk, or it's another day on water for you!"

He started at the sound of Aunt Petunia's voice, and answered affirmatively that he was up, then paused again. It had been a dream, yes…but….maybe…it had been real, too.

He would just have to wait and see.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, another chapter done. 5-14-17: I have returned! More chapters incoming soon!  
**


	4. Leaving the Dursleys

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

 **Language Key**

 _'Thoughts'_

 _"Thought-speak"_

"Normal speech"

* * *

 _"Away with us he's going, the solemn-eyed." - W. B. Yeats_

* * *

Strength of will had always been one of her defining features, Allyson mused as she watched a small boy, far too small for his age, struggle with the old-fashioned lawnmower that was actually taller than he was. At that moment, it was only by such strength that she resisted simply taking the boy that very moment and leaving the house, no, the entire street, engulfed in flames. For the briefest moment she let her thoughts linger on the wondering, but soon pushed those thoughts away. It was tempting, but she had been tempted before. It was not her way.

Not anymore.

Instead, she merely watched, forcing herself to remain calm as the child made the rounds of the lawn, meticulously making sure that every strand of grass was trimmed to the correct height to meet his uncle's exact demands. Having been there since early that morning, carefully hidden to be undetectable even to the neighbor woman's kneazles. Knowing that her best chance for an 'easy' extraction was to confront the aunt without the presence of her husband, Allyson watched and waited and studied, and reigned in her temper until it couldn't be seen on her face or in her eyes, tightly under control until she chose to release it.

It was going on two in the afternoon when the boy was finally finished with his 'chores' outside, and allowed to re-enter the house.

 _Perfect. Little chance for her to claim he's a neighbor's son,_ she thought to herself, preparing to approach the house. _And that's even better._ This thought cementing her timing as she watched the already over-sized cousin run off with a few of his minions, er, friends. Even at this young age, she had noticed the bullying tendencies, and marveled at how willfully blind Petunia and Vernon Dursley were.

 _Welp, better now than never. At least this way I'm more likely to be able to convince her. Best foot forward, Ally. All the better to kick with._

* * *

Harry looked up from his dusting as there was a knock at the front door. Glancing towards his aunt, who seemed surprised, he quickly made his way into his cupboard without being told. Unexpected guests meant he had to be absolutely silent, lest his aunt and uncle need to explain his unnaturalness to strangers, which always, ALWAYS, meant a worse punishment than usual from his uncle.

Petunia of course waited until the freak was tucked away, hidden from sight and sound, before opening the door with a pleasant smile. "Yes? May I help you?"

"Petunia Dursley?" The dark-haired woman asked in, surprisingly, an American accent. Receiving a nod she continued. "My name is Allyson Knight. May I come in? I have some important business to discuss with you that would best not be risked for being overheard."

Petunia's smile tightened somewhat, but she was polite and allowed the woman into her home, leading Ms. Knight into the sitting room. After being asked to sit down, Ms. Knight's pleasant expression hardened a bit.

"Mrs. Dursley, I'm actually here to talk to you about your nephew, Harry Potter. Would you be so kind as to ask him to join us?"

She froze, staring at Ms. Knight for a moment before being able to form a proper response. "I'm afraid he's out...playing, with some friends. And my son, his cousin. Are you with Little Whinging Primary? What has the boy done now?"

"No Mrs. Dursley, I'm not with the school. And I'm sure you must be mistaken, as I was sure I saw your nephew enter the house not five minutes ago. Perhaps he decided against playing today? Or was feeling unwell?"

"Ah. I hadn't heard him come in. Harry? Would you come in here..please?" It seemed to cause physical pain for the woman to add that last bit on, judging by her pursed lips.

In his cupboard, Harry listened with trepidation and shock. Someone was here about him? It shocked him even more when his aunt asked, ASKED, him to come into the sitting room. Peeking out of the cupboard, he eyed the two women in the den warily.

"Now, Harry." He hurried to obey, not wanting to be punished later for lingering.

Allyson eyed Petunia with one raised eyebrow in question, but Petunia refused to saw anything, her face growing tighter and more pinched by the moment. Instead Ally looked at the boy, her face softening.

"Hello there, Harry. I'm Ms. Knight, but you can call me Ally."

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Knight." Politeness was something that had been hammered into him for as long as he could remember, right up there with don't ask questions and to always do as he was told.

"Harry, I must ask, are you happy living with your aunt and uncle?"

A quick glance as his tight-lipped aunt, before Harry carefully answered how he had been taught. "I'm very grateful that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon took me in. Without them, I could have been sent to an orphanage, or worse."

Noting the careful way this had been said, Allyson barely, just barely, kept her temper in check. Her glance at Petunia elicited a flinch though, telling her she hadn't been quite as successful as she wished. "Harry, why don't you go into the back garden and play for a bit? I need to speak with your aunt for a little bit about your...living arrangements." Another quick glance at his aunt, who was paling, had Harry obeying quickly. Whatever Ms. Knight had to say to his aunt, it couldn't be good, if it was making her this angry so quickly.

Ally waited until the boy had scampered out the back door, before turning her gaze on the woman.

"We have given him-" Petunia started to say, but went silent as Allyson began to _glow,_ such was her anger. "You-you're one of them! You're a freak! Get out! Get out of my house!" she shrieked, jumping to her feet.

Allyson remained seated, but reigned in her anger, ending the glow, though it seemed to have moved to her eyes, they held such a great amount of heat. "Sit. Down." Petunia found herself doing so, despite the fact that she had made no move to do so herself. Fear laced through her fury, and not for the first time wished the freak had never been left on her doorstep. "Now, Mrs. Dursley, it's a good thing I spelled the house to keep in sound, lest your neighbors heard you. But that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that you, Petunia, are a horrible aunt, and shouldn't be allowed to care for your own children, let along anyone else's." She set a briefcase on the coffee table, one that she hadn't brought into the house earlier, and withdrew some papers. "These are papers to immediately transfer your non-magical guardianship of one Harry Potter to me. I will take full guardianship of him, and ensure you are never able to gain it again, whether you wish to or not. Is this to your agreement, Mrs. Dursley?"

Petunia eyed her with suspicion. "We never wanted him in the first place. What's to stop those other freaks from foisting him on us again?"

"For one, I will not allow it. Second, he will be beyond their reach until he attends Hogwarts, by which time by their own laws, and those of the non-magical world, he will be my responsibility completely. And third, I would highly recommend your moving to another neighborhood with no forwarding address to your neighbors. Were you aware there are wards set on your home that monitors you all? I even noticed that both you and your nephew have tracking charms attached to your persons." The muggle had gone white, then red rapidly as she listened, absolutely furious, too angry even to reply properly. "I can see you did not. Very well. As an additional effort on my part, I would also offer to remove both." Allyson sighed, and leaned forward. "Mrs. Dursley...I cannot say I can understand how anyone can treat any child the way you have your nephew. However," she forstalled the angry report with a raised hand, "I can also see that you hold no love at all for the so-called wizarding world, and frankly I think whoever left him with you was a fool and extremely short-sighted in thinking you would welcome him into your home. As such, I will also extend a personal offer, conditional on your signing over custody to me with no issues: if you so choose, I will cast a singular spell on you, who's only purpose is to keep anyone from the magical world deliberately seeking you out. I cannot promise you won't come across a magical purely on accident, but anyone trying to find you by magical means, wizarding or not, will not be able to do so. As neither your husband nor son had tracking charms on them, I believe it can be safely assumed you are the only one in need of such protection."

Too many emotions passed over Petunia Dursley nee Evans' face for Allyson to correctly follow her thought progress, but the woman finally settled on a mixture of disgust and...faint hope?

"You...you can really do that? You _would_ do that? Even though-"

"Even though you have treated Harry abysmally and I would have every right to report you for child abuse? Yes. But this is a one time offer. I say this because, as soon as I take Harry away from here, a timer will be counting down. My power cannot protect you will those who set the wards know where you live. Once a month has passed, they will be able to tell the wards have fallen, and come to investigate why. If you are not gone by then..."

"...I understand. Yes. Please...I'll sign. Vernon's signature isn't necessary. Only I have custody of the boy."

A few minutes later everything was signed, and Ally handed Petunia a small but elegant woman's ring in etched silver. "You need to wear this for a full 30 days after Harry leaves, and then once a month for three years, at least, during your normal daytime routine. After that, all you need to do is keep it in your residence, preferably somewhere close to your bedroom or wherever you sleep, to keep it charged, so to speak. It is real silver, in a design I saw offered in a New York boutique once. Heck, you could even keep it in your pocket if you are traveling away from your own, after those three years I mentioned."

Petunia stared at the ring, then slipped it on her little finger. "Thank you." It was quiet, and grudging, but a thanks nevertheless. Allyson nodded, then stood. "I'll gather Harry. And for his sake, I give you my thanks in return that you've realized you are not suited to caring for him." She left the sitting room and exited out the kitchen door while Petunia pondered that, staring at the ring while doing so.

* * *

"Harry?"

The boy heard his named called, and looked up from the rosebushes he was idly weeding. The strange woman, Ms. Knight, was walking towards him, but stopped a little bit of way, looking at him curiously. He scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt off his over-sized shorts. "Hey again. Thought I might find you out here. So, do you like gardening, then?" Harry glanced back at the rosebushes, then nodded, shyly. Most people didn't care what he liked or not. "Remind me to show you some gardens around my home. There's quite a few."

"Your home, ma'am?" He kept himself from flinching, it _was_ a question after all, but he was awfully confused.

"Ah. Well...knew I was forgetting something." The woman seemed embarrassed for a moment, before doing something really strange. She just sat right down on the grass! Aunt Petunia would never do something so...so... not ladylike! "Come on over here. I've got some important things to talk with you about." She patted the ground next to her inviting him to sit down. Unsure, he sat a little bit away, but definitely more than close enough to talk quietly.

"Now...Harry...I know your Aunt and Uncle haven't been very nice to you." At his panicked look, she hurried to calm him. "No no, it's ok! I mean, not that they weren't nice to you, but you're not going to get in trouble, okay? I promise. I came here because someone told me they weren't very nice, and you were...well...you could use a new family, maybe?"

Harry paused, heart racing, before staring at the woman with a look that bordered on...hope. "...What...what did you say your name was, again? Your first name?"

She smiled, and vaguely he thought it was way different from Aunt Petunia's smiles. It seemed...more real. And actually aimed at him...?

"My name is Allyson, Harry. I think...maybe someone told you I was going to find you?"

Emerald eyes widened in sudden and complete understanding. "You...you're here for me? The...the nice Lady told me...she was going...going to send me...a Sister...but...but I thought...it was just a dream?"

Ally smiled and nodded. "Dreams can be a lot more than just dreams, Harry. She talked to me, and told me about this wonderful little boy who liked plants, and coloring, and even the little rabbits that sometimes nibbled his garden a bit. Then she asked me if I thought I could find it in me to want a little brother, and by golly, I've never had a brother...but I could certain get used to one, I think. That is, if he didn't mind having a sister?"

"You...you really...want to be _my_ sister? B-but I'm just Harry!"

"Well, just Harry...I happen to like you just the way you are. Granted you're a bit on the scrawny side, but...well...if you want to be my brother, it means you'd have to come live with me, far away from Surrey and Little Whinging. Do you think you could leave this place?" He didn't answer aloud, merely nodded eagerly, as if doing his best impression of a bobblehead figure. Leave the Dursleys and Privit Drive and Harry Hunting? He'd do _anything_ to get away from this place!

She stood, and reached down a hand to help him to his feet. "Then we had best get your things, don't you think? That's what I was talking to your Aunt about. We had to sign some paperwork to make it all official and everything, but it's done, and as long as you agreed, you can come away with me today." 

* * *

Everything he wanted out of his cupboard, which wasn't much, was packed into one small briefcase that Allyson, Ally, had given him. Hand in hand with his new guardian, his sister!, he waited in the downstairs hallway as Aunt Petunia frowned, looking at him strangely, before she finally sighed.

"...Lily would never have forgiven me for what I've done...but..." she handed Allyson a necklace, looking pained as she did so. "Before...before I got married to Vernon...she gave me that. Said something odd about chosen family...the boy...Harry should have it." She looked at Harry, for once meeting his eyes, before guilt made her look away. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked at Allyson. "Vernon will be home soon. You should leave. I will follow the...advice, you have given me." Then she turned and went into the kitchen, leaving them to exit on their own.

"Well then...ready to start the next part of your life, Harry?" He looked up, and nodded, and didn't look back as Ally led him away from Privet Drive, and his life with the Dursleys.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well! For my first chapter back, it sure was a doozy! I'm going to post one more chapter, mainly dealing with a certain meddling Headmaster, before doing a time skip. Let me know what you thought of this one!  
**


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